The Hindu : National : Nod for Radio Pakistan reporter likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

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National

Nod for Radio Pakistan reporter likely

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI, JUNE 23. The signs of thaw are beginning to extend beyond the narrow confines of the Indian and Pakistani bureaucracy. Almost after a decade, a Radio Pakistan correspondent is likely to be a new face among the foreign journalist corps based here. Radio Pakistan had a correspondent in 1990s.

The Government of India is poised to approve the visa application for the Radio Pakistan (also known as the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation) correspondent, a diplomatic source told this correspondent.

Since the mid-1990s, there have been two Indian correspondents in Pakistan (The Hindu and the Press Trust of India) and two Pakistanis here (Jang and the Associated Press of Pakistan).

For the last couple of years, only one Pakistani had been here - the APP correspondent. The Jang management has chosen not to post anyone.

It is also learnt that All India Radio may also put in an application for posting a correspondent in Islamabad.

In the early 1990s there were five Indian correspondents in Islamabad - from The Hindu, PTI, AIR, Hindustan Times and Times of India, and three Pakistanis - representing Radio Pakistan, APP and Jang - in New Delhi.

The principle of "strict reciprocity" was applied in the mid-1990s and the number of Indian and Pakistani correspondents was reduced to the figure of two each. Even now, as and when the Radio Pakistan man arrives, it will actually be "two each" again.

Many Indian news organisations have been keen to post correspondents in Pakistan, but have come up against the restrictions put in place by the two countries. The reluctance of Pakistani groups to post correspondents has also been a problem.

A start may have been made with the official media, but it must be extended to private news organisations as well. Also, the two countries should take steps to make the lives of journalists based in either country easier - by allowing them to move around freely and return home as often as they want.

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